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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna <cbnswift.transferdept@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2016 01:17:31 -0500
Subject: Re - Did you permit the Change of Fund Ownership

Attention: Beneficiary. Re - Change of Funds Ownership. This is to bring to your notice that the President of Republic of Nigeria,President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted a 10 man investigative Panel and foreign Debts reconciliation committee, which I am the Chairman of the presidential committee saddled with the responsibility to investigate all the banks here in Nigeria, who has trapped and held beneficiaries Compensation/inheritance/NNPC contract Fund claims unpaid. to settle all the Foreign debt after his recent visit & meeting with the American President Barack Obama of United States and other officials of the United Nation to enable him give a zero tolerance to corruption in his regime.I am solely in charge of all foreign payments. At the commencement of my official responsibility geared towards payment to foreign beneficiaries. I received a letter that your unclaimed approved payment by the Central Bank of Nigeria which has been overdue for payment should now be paid to Lawrence R. Larson of 7251 Grove Road, Apt. 160, Brooksville, Florida 34613 U.S.A. In the said letter titled change of beneficiary/ownership. Its clearly stated that you are dead and that he is your next of kin, it went further to say you signed a deed and an agreement with Lawrence R. Larson to become your beneficiary before your untimely death. But because of the elaborate global scam, I decided to contact you first for confirmation before transferring the funds and if after seven working days, no response is received from you, it will be assumed that you are dead and as such authorization and approval will be granted on behalf of Lawrence R. Larson to claim/receive your fund. But if you are well and alive then confirm this letter and reconfirm your Information and how you want your said fund to be paid to you without further delay. Send your responses to me immediately by email. Below is the information you are expected to re-confirm. Full Name: Address: Nationality: Sex: Age: Date of Birth: Occupation: Home Phone No:................. Office Phone No.................... Cell Phone.................. Driver's license or any copy of Your Identity: Please feel free to contact me here only for further clarifications regarding this matter. Sincerely, Yours faithfully, Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability Central Bank of Nigeria Tinubu square, Lagos- Nigeria

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